Hop-on Hop-off Tours San Francisco

Big Bus: San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Name: Big Bus: San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
Start: 2026-07-30T10:00:00
End: 2026-07-30T18:00:00
Location: San Francisco

Explore at your pace

Choose your entry time, stay as long as you like

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

4.3/5(172)

Sandra D

Solo

Verified booking

Jun 2026

We loved how friendly the big bus staff were when we arrived at the bus stop. They were very welcoming and passionate, this was a great way to start out tour. The headphones also added a commentary effect for the trip, aiding the visual of the trio as well. I'm local to SF & took my mum who is visiting from Nigeria, and even with this been my second time, it never gets old!

Calling all San Francisco explorers! Get ready to discover the city your way with a 24/48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour.

No strict schedules here! The buses run every 15 mins at all 17 stops, so you can hop off to snap that perfect pic, and then hop back on when you're ready.

Upgrade for entry to the San Francisco Aquarium By The Bay, 60-minute sunset or Historic Chinatown digital walking tours – take your pick and unlock extra fun.

Curious about the city's culture and history? Tune into the multilingual audio guide while you cruise on the open-top double-decker buses.

From the impressive City Hall to the dreamy Palace of Fine Arts and the unmissable Golden Gate Bridge, you'll see the city's coolest spots.

24/48-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off tour

Access to Red Route

Entry to San Francisco Aquarium By The Bay (based on option selected)

1-hour Chinatown digital walking tour (based on option selected)

60-min sunset tour (based on option selected)

Audio guide in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese & Korean (on the bus)

Audio guide English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese (on the walking tour)

Complimentary headphones

Mobile app with a detailed map and live bus tracking

TOTAL DURATION2 hours 20 minutes
Timeline
Map
1. Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center
Get direction
2 attractions
Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center
Powell Street Cable Car Turnaround
16 minutes walk
2. Columbus/Ghirardelli Square
Get direction
2 attractions
Columbus Avenue
Ghirardelli Square
3 minutes walk
3. North Beach / Chinatown
Get direction
2 attractions
North Beach / Chinatown
1 minute walk
City Lights Bookstore
4. Embarcadero Center
Get direction
2 attractions
Embarcadero Center
Rincon Park
7 minutes walk
5. Ferry Building
Get direction
2 attractions
Ferry Building
3 minutes walk
Alcatraz Ferry Landing
15 minutes walk
6. Union Square South
Get direction
2 attractions
Union Square South
2 minutes walk
Maiden Lane
2 minutes walk
7. Hilton Hotel
Get direction
2 attractions
Hilton Hotel
10 minutes walk
Glide Memorial Church
1 minute walk
8. Civic Center
Get direction
2 attractions
Civic Center
1 minute walk
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
2 minutes walk
9. Alamo Square
Get direction
2 attractions
Alamo Square
1 minute walk
Painted Ladies
2 minutes walk
10. Haight Ashbury
Get direction
2 attractions
Haight Ashbury
2 minutes walk
Amoeba Music
11. South Vista Point / Golden Gate Bridge
Get direction
12. North Vista Point / Golden Gate Bridge
Get direction
2 attractions
Golden Gate Bridge
4 minutes walk
Battery Spencer
4 minutes walk
13. Palace of Fine Arts
Get direction
2 attractions
Palace of Fine Arts
2 minutes walk
Fort Mason Center
8 minutes walk
14. Marina / Cow Hollow
Get direction
2 attractions
Marina / Cow Hollow
3 minutes walk
Lyon Street Steps
6 minutes walk
15. Lombard Street
Get direction
2 attractions
Lombard Street
3 minutes walk
Russian Hill
4 minutes walk
16. Pier 35 / Cruise Terminal
Get direction
2 attractions
Pier 35
Pier 7
7 minutes walk
17. Pier 39
Get direction
2 attractions
Pier 39
Musical Stairs
2 minutes walk

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

172 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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58
17
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Guests from Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and over 11 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Patricia S
Solo
Verified booking
2 days ago
The confirmation emails contained an expired link and gave no specifics about how to actually find one of the busses. Naming the link to be downloaded would have been extreeeeemely helpful. Also, a copy of the route map would have told me that my hotel was two blocks from one of the programmed stops. Failing grades to the editor of the initial emails.
Sandra D
Solo
Verified booking
Jun 2026
We loved how friendly the big bus staff were when we arrived at the bus stop. They were very welcoming and passionate, this was a great way to start out tour. The headphones also added a commentary effect for the trip, aiding the visual of the trio as well. I'm local to SF & took my mum who is visiting from Nigeria, and even with this been my second time, it never gets old!
Eileen C
Couple
Verified booking
Jun 2026
Francesco was excellent and worked quickly to ensure we received our tickets as well as he sold us extra days on the Big Bus as well. We really enjoyed our bus tour as well as Pier 39 where we had a very tasty lunch of fish & chips, we watched seals and we shopped. A great day out thank you.
Josée V
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
There are lots of sights to see. The headphones didn't work very well. The stops should be announced.
Kenneth D
Couple
Verified booking
May 2026
The taped recording had long pauses with music and not enough explanation about the city and when we got back to pier 39, the driver got off the bus and started shouting "tip your driver, come on, tip your driver" and then pointed at 3 ladies and said you need to tip your driver. Talk about rude. My tip is she needs to find another job because her customer service was terrible. Her driving was good but her bus-side manners were bad...really bad.

What's not allowed

Keep in mind that food & alcohol (except non-alcoholic drinks in screw-top bottles), and luggage are not allowed on the buses. Pack wisely!

Accessibility

Not all buses are wheelchair accessible. You can contact the service operator 48 hours before your trip, and they'll try to assist you.

Your safety comes first, so visitors with mobility impairments may be restricted from accessing the upper decks.

Your guide dogs (except for pets) are welcome on board.

Additional information

Booking information, operating hours, and meeting point details for the Chinatown digital walking tour and other add-ons will be shared in the ticket post-booking.

The sunset tour is closed on the 4th of July, Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Eve.

Tour details

Sunset tour

Departure: 6pm from stop #1 (Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center) (6:30pm from March 16, 2026)

Frequency: Once every evening

Duration: 60 mins

Digital walking tour

Departure: Scan the QR Code at Stop 1 (Big Bus Tours Visitors' Center) and head to Stop 3 (North Beach / Chinatown) for departure

Duration: 1 hour

Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the mobile/paper voucher at the boarding point with a valid ID to exchange the ticket.

You can join the Hop-on Hop-Off tour from any of the boarding points.

Please check your final voucher for more details about the redemption points & specific instructions regarding the Night Tour.